History - General

The Brackenridge House Bed & Breakfast is a prime example of historic restoration, preservation and neighborhood revitalization. This Greek revival mansion was originally built on Alamo Street circa 1903 for John T. Brackenridge. After a fire burned down a house located behind it in 1980, the two story home was “turned around and moved forward on rollers to occupy the Madison Street site,” according to the San Antonio Light on April 14, 1985.

Carolyn Cole bought the relocated structure in 1985 and completely renovated it. On October 10, 1986, Carolyn had an open house for Norton Brackenridge Bed & Breakfast Inn. Along with her manager, Francis Bochat, Carolyn provided “scrumptious” breakfasts with lots of homemade goodies. These two entrepreneurs shared their knowledge of King William and downtown San Antonio with guests who enjoyed their stay in the lovely old home and

its historic environs.

According to the Inn’s website, “In 1995, the inn was sold to Colonel Bennie Blansett and his wife, Sue. They maintained a strong following and had an excellent reputation for 16 years.” They renamed the inn Brackenridge House.

Lily Lopez assisted Bennie and Sue in running the inn since 1999. She loved managing the inn so much that in 2009, Lily and her husband, Roland, purchased the inn from the Blansetts. Lily’s great cooking and warm, welcoming personality are perfect for being an innkeeper. Lily said, “I gain a lot of satisfaction in hosting guests from around the world. I love to share the beautiful Brackenridge House and our historic neighborhood with them. From local to out of town visitors, they all agree that staying at the inn is a memorable and pleasant experience, not only for our service and the inn’s unique décor, but also for its restoration, architecture and location in the King William Historic District.”

On your next stroll through the neighborhood, be sure to have a good look at Brackenridge House B&B at 230 Madison Street and appreciate its preserved history and current contribution to the King William neighborhood. Congratulations to Lily and Roland Lopez on the 30th Anniversary of the inn! - Nora Peterson